Studs and Duds: Lions' Defense Not Physically Ready to Play

Detroit Lions were dominated by the Carolina Panthers.

Saturday's losses by the New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders gave the Detroit Lions an opportunity to climb into the NFC playoff picture, ahead of their final two games.

Unfortunately for Dan Campbell and company, they couldn’t take advantage. The Carolina Panthers ran roughshod over the Lions' defense, en route to a 37-23 win on Christmas Eve. With the loss, the Lions fell to 7-8, and remained on the outside of the playoffs, with two games remaining.

Here are the studs and duds from the performance. 

STUD: QB Jared Goff

For all the struggles defensively, Goff and the offense certainly created plenty of opportunities. As the Lions’ run game struggled to get going, the signal-caller kept the offensive unit moving, to the tune of 355 passing yards.

Goff tossed three red-zone touchdowns, all to Shane Zylstra, and got the offense into the red zone six different times. Three of those trips came up short, ending in a fumble, a turnover on downs and a late field goal.

The quarterback wasn’t perfect, as the fumble was partially on him due to a bad snap from center Frank Ragnow. The turnover on downs was a pass in the end zone dropped by Josh Reynolds, after a big hit.

On a brighter note, Goff has now gone seven straight games without an interception. He was last picked off in the Week 9 win over Green Bay.

© Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

DUD: CB Jeff Okudah

Okudah didn’t have his best day as a tackler. He whiffed in the open field multiple times, including on Carolina’s first snap of the second half when D’Onta Foreman burst for 15 yards.

Later in that opening drive of the second half, Okudah was beaten on third-and-13 for a 47-yard completion from Sam Darnold to D.J. Moore. Carolina scored one play later, extending its lead to 31-7.

The corner spent long stretches of the second half on the bench, as Mike Hughes took over at corner. For a player who has been good for most of the year, it was a frustrating step in the wrong direction.

STUD: WR DJ Chark

Chark made only four catches, but had several big gains. His first catch was an impressive one, as he hauled in a pass over tight coverage for a 39-yard gain.

The 26-year-old finished with 108 receiving yards, as his third catch went for 51 yards. He was held out of the end zone, but Saturday marked the third time in four games that the wideout has gone for over 90 yards receiving.

His counterpart, Amon-Ra St. Brown, surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on the season, with a seven-catch, 76-yard performance.

Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports

DUD: CB Jerry Jacobs

Jacobs also struggled against the run Saturday. In particular, he missed a tackle in the backfield on Foreman, during a play that turned into a 38-yard run.

The second-year defensive back was also flagged for defensive holding on a second-and-goal incompletion from Detroit’s 9-yard line, with Carolina scoring on the very next play.

Much like Okudah, Jacobs has been an encouraging member of Detroit’s defense for most of the year. Yet, he couldn’t get the job done Saturday, as the Panthers were unstoppable for most of the afternoon.

STUD: TE Shane Zylstra

Zylstra had a career day against the Panthers, scoring three touchdowns. The three TDs tripled that of his career total. He had logged just one touchdown in his career entering the game.

All three of his catches came on short throws. He capped off the Lions’ first offensive series with a three-yard catch, then added a seven-yarder on fourth-and-2 in the third quarter.

He capped off his five-catch, 26-yard performance with a one-yard scoring grab in the fourth quarter.

DUD: DT Isaiah Buggs

Buggs and the Detroit defensive line generated little heat. Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold wasn’t sacked, and the team ran for 320 yards in the win.

Though Buggs did finish with six tackles, he failed to log a stop for loss. He also committed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, an example of the undisciplined play that has cost the Lions on defense at times.